Chapter 40: We are friends, aren’t we?
“…There’s so much going on lately…”
During the break between the second and third periods, Zhu Qing walked towards the library, complaining about the numerous troubles that had recently befallen the school.
Spring was nearing its end, and the school was about to hold a series of activities. As the Principal’s daughter, Zhu Qing was inevitably involved in the preparations.
While complaining about the hassle of the work, a certain white-haired girl’s face appeared in Zhu Qing’s mind.
“Hmm… I hope she’s really doing better.”
Zhu Qing was actually quite worried about “Lu Shiyu.”
The last time she parted ways with the girl, she seemed to have improved considerably, so Zhu Qing shouldn’t have been so worried.
But today, she had heard some bad news.
When the bell rang, she overheard some unpleasant rumors circulating about “Lu Shiyu,” with people discussing how the girl was being kept by someone.
These rumors were spread by Long Qinxin. Long Qinxin was extremely tired of Lu Zhiyin’s cold attitude, so she decided to retaliate against Lu Zhiyin in a small way.
Normally, rumors wouldn’t spread so quickly, but Long Qinxin was wealthy.
Money makes the world go ’round, and with the influence of money, these malicious rumors quickly spread throughout the campus.
Naturally, Zhu Qing did not believe the rumors. She was quite familiar with the girl who was being slandered. In Zhu Qing’s opinion, if “Lu Shiyu” were the kind of person who would be kept for money, she wouldn’t have worked so hard to take a part-time job at a restaurant.
However, even if Zhu Qing didn’t believe it, others would. These rumors would inevitably affect the girl.
“Sigh…”
With a sigh, Zhu Qing pushed open the slightly ajar library door, her heart filled with worry.
As the door was pushed open, the creaking sound awakened Lu Zhiyin, who had fallen into a deep sleep.
“Ah… Hmm…?”
Her body trembled slightly, and Lu Zhiyin slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision was blurry, and her mind was hazy with fatigue, making it difficult to wake up quickly.
“Sis… Junior Sister! Why are you here?”
Zhu Qing was extremely surprised. Just moments ago, she was worried about “Lu Shiyu,” and now she unexpectedly encountered the person she was worried about in the library.
“Don’t sleep on the ground, you’ll catch a cold.”
Bending down, Zhu Qing took Lu Zhiyin’s hand and helped her up, leading her to sit on a chair by the desk.
Zhu Qing sat opposite Lu Zhiyin. It was at this moment that she remembered to look at Lu Zhiyin’s face.
“…Did you get into trouble again?”
Her eyes were vacant, her complexion as pale as paper, and there were red marks on her neck.
Zhu Qing frowned.
It seemed that this time, the girl in front of her was not just feeling tired and homesick.
Zhu Qing thought that the girl’s exhaustion might be related to those inexplicable rumors.
“…”
As her consciousness gradually returned, Lu Zhiyin looked up.
She saw Zhu Qing’s face full of concern.
The Zhu Qing in front of her was one of the few trustworthy, friendly, and helpful people.
Lu Zhiyin opened her mouth, wanting to tell Zhu Qing what had happened to her, wanting to confide in someone about her sorrow and troubles.
But she didn’t know how to start.
“Is it inconvenient to talk about it?”
Zhu Qing did not press further. After a moment of hesitation, she left the library.
Shortly after, she returned with a small box of ointment from the infirmary.
“Here, apply some of this. It should make the marks on your neck disappear.”
Handing the ointment to Lu Zhiyin, Zhu Qing took a storybook from the shelf.
She sat opposite Lu Zhiyin and quietly flipped through the pages of the book.
She didn’t intend to pry into what had happened to Lu Zhiyin; if she didn’t want to answer, asking repeatedly would yield no results and only be annoying.
“…”
The peaceful and serene atmosphere in the library did little to alleviate Lu Zhiyin’s battered heart.
After a long while, she took the ointment, opened the lid, and applied the white cream to the skin on her neck.
A pungent smell reached her nose – the smell of the ointment.
Lu Zhiyin poked the cool ointment covering her skin with her fingertip.
“…Thank you…”
She thanked Zhu Qing.
In front of Zhu Qing, Lu Zhiyin could not be a mere puppet.
“You’re welcome. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Smiling, Zhu Qing nodded at Lu Zhiyin. Her eyes, as gentle as water, held a hint of encouragement.
Lu Zhiyin closed her eyes.
Friends… was it?
Ah, yes, she was the one who had first suggested becoming friends with Zhu Qing.
Lu Zhiyin touched her chest.
After much thought, Lu Zhiyin decided to confide her recent experiences to Zhu Qing.
“I can’t go home anymore.”
Lu Zhiyin closed her eyes slightly.
She truly couldn’t go home anymore. There were many other things she couldn’t disclose. She felt that revealing her identity as a deity and her true relationship with the deity to Zhu Qing would cause trouble for Zhu Qing.
She didn’t want to cause trouble for her friend.
This time, it wasn’t for the sake of a quest or earning favor, but simply because she didn’t want her friend to be hurt.
“Can’t go home? What does that mean?”
Zhu Qing’s brow furrowed even tighter.
She wondered if something had happened at home.
“I’m sorry, it’s inconvenient for me to say more about the specifics.”
With a tired smile, Lu Zhiyin laid her head on the table.
“…Alright…”
Zhu Qing hesitated for a moment before giving up on further questioning.
She didn’t want to bother the girl in front of her.
“Can you tell me if there’s anything I can help with?”
Zhu Qing closed the book in her hands.
The sunlight outside was bright, and the golden rays shone on Zhu Qing’s pink hair.
Determination was etched on Zhu Qing’s beautiful face.
Lu Zhiyin thought, she was as helpful as ever…
Lu Zhiyin pursed her lips and began to speak.
“Just listening to me talk is enough.”
Having closed herself off to others, her emotions needed an outlet.
Zhu Qing was an excellent choice for that.
Lu Zhiyin didn’t intend to tell Zhu Qing about the harassment from Long Qinxin and Leng Qing Qiu.
She had originally planned to reveal everything, but ultimately rejected the idea.
Zhu Qing was only the Principal’s daughter; her influence was limited to the school. She couldn’t control Long Qinxin and Leng Qing Qiu.
Or rather, if she were to forcefully intervene, she herself would be harmed by those two devils.
Lu Zhiyin had already harmed innocent people several times; she didn’t want to hurt anyone else.
“…”
Zhu Qing looked at the dejected girl and fell silent.
Her friend, whom she had known for a short time, seemed to want to confide something to her but stopped halfway.
Was she being threatened? Or was she worried about someone? Or did she simply not want to tell her, not willing to open up to her?
Her thoughts were a bit jumbled, and Zhu Qing couldn’t fathom the girl’s intentions.
“Junior Sister, there are rumors circulating around school today maliciously claiming you’re being kept. Have you offended anyone recently?”
Unable to get any useful information, Zhu Qing decided to help her junior sister as much as she could.
Without enough information, this was all she could do.
“Maybe.”
Lu Zhiyin easily guessed who spread the rumors. She didn’t want to talk about Leng Qing Qiu and Long Qinxin.
If her reputation was ruined, so be it… it didn’t matter…
Lu Zhiyin touched her school uniform pocket. It was empty, and Lu Zhiyin felt a bit dazed.
“Senior Sister, I mentioned treating you to a meal before, but it might not be possible to fulfill that promise now.”
Lu Zhiyin apologized to Zhu Qing.
She could foresee that Leng Qing Qiu would not let this matter rest.
That person would probably be waiting at the school gate after school.
“It’s okay.”
A sense of worry gradually appeared on Zhu Qing’s face, making her look troubled.
She had just comforted her junior sister not long ago, so who could have made her junior sister like this again?
“Don’t worry about me.”
Seeing Zhu Qing worry about her, Lu Zhiyin felt a tightness in her chest.
“Ha…”
She raised her head, glanced at the white ceiling of the library, and sighed.
“Let’s talk about something else – your favorite books, fun things, that sort of thing…”
Lu Zhiyin didn’t want to hear any more talk about herself.
Taking a break today
Spending the holiday with family today, taking a break today.
